For some reason, a lot of the local Torontonian’s we met during our stay in Toronto didn’t have much respect for the old CN Tower.
Though famous world wide, we constantly met locals seemingly ambivalent towards the poor tower. They either:
- Had flat out never even been there.
- Hadn’t been there in forever and had no desire to go.
- Referred to it only when mentioning it’s shape as being similar to (in combination with the adjacent Rogers Center) the male genitalia.
or
4. Referred to it when joking that it was only the tallest tower for that time because it has a ridiculous stick poking out the top that has no function but to increase it’s height.
Maybe because it’s a tourist attraction, maybe because of the shame of it no longer BEING the world’s tallest tower, (now merely “a tall” tower)… I don’t know, but it’s not the same way New Yorkers talk about the Empire State building, I’ll tell you that much.
Anyway, it came time during our stay to finally see what was happening in the tower for ourselves and make up our own minds.
The first time you go, seeing the tower from underneath is quite spectacular. It seems so skinny from a distance but up close you realize just how big and wide the main column of the tower is… not to mention it’s height relative to the surrounding buildings.
Your first part of the CN tower experience is usually (once you get through the gift shops and security checks – one such machine includes a curious device that seeks to uncover your hidden weaponry by forcefully blowing air on you…) the elevator ride to the top.
Depending on your comfort with heights, the ride is either terrifying or exciting. The elevator is glass so you get to feel the physical sensation of elevating that far into the air almost as if unaided… pretty neat.
If you’re going up it’s only for two purposes: One, to see the view and learn about the tower, or two, to visit the revolving 360 CN Tower restaurant. I’ve covered the CN tower restaurant in another post, so check it out on my travel blog.
Once you’re at the top, your main goal is to circle the tower’s main perimeter and view the city from all angles. From the top you can see the entire city of Toronto, even out into the widespanning GTA (Greater Toronto Area), you can see Toronto Island, a short ferry ride into the lake, and of course, right out into the vast Lake Ontario itself.
Lucky enough to visit the tower with a local who was a great tour guide, we had pointed out to us many features such as the immense greenery of the city (a product of the city’s initiative to have people plant more trees), the building down town who’s windows are plated with gold, and the building that’s the tallest (maybe in the world?) for it’s width, a narrow, skinny but 55 (or thereabouts) story tower jammed between two buildings sitting on proper sized blocks.
One of the CN Tower’s main drawcards is it’s infamous glass floor, offering the ability to “look down” from the tower’s 500 odd meter deck just as though you’re floating on air. If it’s too much for you, you can simply stand back and watch the inevitable tourist teenager pretending to jump hard on the glass feigning fear at the obviously slim probability of falling through.
Otherwise you can simply read about the different features of the tower, it’s history, it’s height and so on, or if you’re lucky enough to go at night, enjoy the bright changing lights that encircle you as you wander.
At the end of the day, if you’re visiting Toronto, the CN tower is worth a visit, if for no other reason than to say you’ve experienced what it’s like to be that high in the air, that high in a glass elevator, or that high standing over a glass floor. But past that, it’s not a place you’d keep coming back to (without occasion, excluding the opportunity to watch a baseball game with the Roger’s Center roof open – something I’ve heard is quite a treat), hence it’s distaste with the locals.
View more articles on my Canada travel guide.
